Jaded Dreams
by Lady of Life and Death
Summary: Jade's unique: Adopted by Kazuma Sohma at nine, strong, smart and able to hug the Juunishi. She's also close to Kyo. How does this loyal girl choose between her heart or her friend's? It's heartbreak vs. happiness in this sad tale. Chapter One


Ok, I don't own the characters of Fruits Basket (although owning Kyo would be nice!). This is the only disclaimer I'll do, so yeah. I do own Jade, but Julia belongs to my friend Diva'sDream.

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We were only three when the accident happened. Julia and I had been born only a month a part and lived next to each other. It's still unclear if the fire started at my or her house, or if both houses were already burning. We were left alone, our parents perishing in the fire seeing as my father and mother got us out at the cost of their lives (she'd been sleeping over and the inhaled the smoke as the got us out). Her parents burned alive, and she herself came out blind.

I'm still unsure why the families aloud us to stick together when we were sent to the orphanage. I mean, if you're going to be cruel, might as well go all out right? Well, that hellhole was the worst thing to send a child too. We stayed there under the sharp eyes of what felt like jail guards whose attention always seemed to be away when the bullies came around. That's where I got my attitude. That's where I learned how to fight. For six years we were there, until out of a stroke of luck, whether good or bad, Kazuma Sohma came with the Sohma family's monthly donation to the orphanage on the same day we discovered the Sohma secret.

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"Hey Pipsqueak! Stand up and fight!" one of the older boys teased, knocking me over. I fell with an "Oof!" next to Julia, who pressed her back against the wall. She was as filthy as me, dirt smudged everywhere. Even at nine years old I knew she of all people should have had better care. My light brown hair and her own was matted and tangled. I placed my hand on her shoulder as I stood up. The other boys laughed at me.

"Don't worry!" I whispered. "I'll take care of them!" She shivered, from cold or fear, I couldn't tell. She nodded her head and covered her face. I turned, green eyes glaring daggers at the jerks who'd been teasing Julia about her blindness.

"Cowards!" I yelled at them. "Just because she's different you think its fun to pick on her!" I took on what I later learned was a defensive stance, having been watching the people in the dojo next door when I got a chance to peak over the fence. The oldest, meanest, and stupidest one stepped forward. He was thirteen, and loved to kick us around.

"Well well well!" he said taking on airs. "Looks like this little kitten wants to play!" The other boys laughed. I spat on his face, angry at the comment. This "little kitten" had sharp claws. The boy gasped at my defiance. Yeah, I was a bit of a trouble maker.

Wiping his face, he growled, "You'll regret that, bitch." He raised his fist up to swing at me, and I threw my arm up in defense, closing my eyes tight.

"Run!" the boys yelled. I heard them scampering and decided to open one of my eyes ever so slightly.

My mouth hung agape at the sight of a tall man holding back the frightened boys arm. I recognized him as a Sohma having seen him once before. He wore traditional clothing, much nicer than the head of our orphanage had, but simpler at the same time. The boy tried to struggle from his grasp yelling for him to let him go.

"You shouldn't raise a hand against women," he said, holding fast. The boy glared at him.

"She's not a woman," he defied, "she's a snot-nosed brat!" The man looked at him calmly, but intensely enough shut up his whining.

"Never harm another person without good reason again, understand?" he asked quietly. The boy nodded and took off as the man let go. He then looked at me and saw me checking Julia.

"Did they hurt you?" I asked, hugging her and trying to look at her arms and face. She only shook her head, trying to hold back tears. I checked the back of her head and saw just a slight bump from when they knocked her into the wall. I looked back at the man, stood up and bowed, wanting to show not everyone there didn't have manners.

"Thank you," I said in mid bow, "for helping me and my friend." I stopped before saying that I could've taken care of myself. Something told me to hold back that comment. He kneeled down to look at Julia and me, who was doing a good job of keeping back tears. He looked from her to directly into my eyes. When he saw, I don't know, but he smiled gently as if he recognized me.

"What are you're names?" he asked.

"Jade and this is Julia." Having known Julia since I was born, we didn't use any honorific. We didn't have to.

He stood back up and held out his hand to me and told me to bring Julia who in turn grabbed mine. The head was completely shocked when (We found out his name to be Kazuma) asked for our papers. He intended on adopting us! My heart fluttered with joy and I squeezed Julia's hand lightly. We were escaping that hellhole once and for all!

He took us to what he called the "main house" of the Sohma family where we were to be cleaned up and taken before the family head. I hadn't bathed since that past Easter (which had been about a month ago) and it felt nice to scrub away the dirt. I helped with Julia since she didn't trust anyone but me.

After dressing us in fresh linens, the maids brought us back out before Kazuma-San. Julia and I had been put in matching kimonos and ribbons, and I felt uncomfortable and odd. Julia was the more feminine of the two of us. He smiled and told us we looked much prettier.

Akito frightened both of us. Even though he was a few years ahead of us, he was still the head of the Sohma family. He looked on us with disdain but Kazuma explained we'd be perfect playmates for the "others". After a long talk of convincing, he aloud us to see the others. Kazuma saw me tugging at the skirt as we came out. I'd been wearing shorts before. He had a maid usher me into another room to change into play clothes and I skipped out, actually smiling. Julia was holding his hand and he talked to her gently like he did to us before.

I smiled broadly, happy to see she trusted someone. Going up to him I asked, "Kazuma-San, my we meet the other children you and Akito-San were talking about?" I wanted to see what I was up against and if they would hurt Julia or not. He smiled and led us to the courtyard behind the house.

There, a few boys and a girl were playing what looked like a game of tag and a few adults conversing a few yards away. Two boys, one with orange eyes and hair and the other purple eyes and hair, sat along the wall, but far apart. "Kyo!" Kazuma called out. The orange haired boy looked over and grinned. He jumped up and ran over.

"Shishou!" he cried happily. Hugging onto him, he noticed us too. "Shishou, who're they?" he asked. Kazuma patted Kyo's head.

"These are yours and the other children's new playmates," he explained. "I've adopted them." Kyo raised an eyebrow and like all boys, looked down on us.

"A couple of girls?" he said. I glared.

"My name's Jade! Not "_girl"_ smart one!" I retorted. He blinked. Shigure-San later told me how much Kyo and I were alike in attitude, but I was more controlled. I squeezed Jade's hand saying, "And this is Julia." Kazuma looked between us, still smiling from before.

"Well, Kyo," he said kneeling down and hugging the orange-haired boy. "I want you to introduce these two to the others and play nicely alright?" Kyo nodded his head and Kazuma went back inside. Carrot-Top turned and looked us up and down.

"So…" he said to neither of us particularly. I crossed my arms like always.

"So are you going to introduce us?" I asked, not as rude as it sounds (Man, typing isn't the easiest way to express feeling!). He nodded.

We joined in with the game of tag as if we'd been there the whole time, but the purple hair boy, we found out his name to be Yuki, didn't. Apparently he couldn't risk it with his lungs. Julia sat next to him and started talking a little bit. I was happy to have changed into shorts. It made running much easier. Then it happened: I was tagged.

The others shrieked with kind laughter as I ran around trying to catch them. I smiled along with them and nearly caught the girl, Kagura, and another boy, Hatsuharu, but they managed to slip away. Then, I saw my chance: Kyo had paused for breath! I ran at him and tagged him from behind, but tripped over my own feet. I fell onto of him, I guess accidently hugging him, but nothing happened. The entire courtyard was silent. I sat up quickly and helped up Kyo.

Bowing I said, "I'm so sorry Kyo-Kun! I didn't mean to knock you over!" One of the adults, Shigure, ran inside. The other children stared at me, especially Kyo.

"You… you can hug me?" he asked in disbelief. I tilted my head puzzled.

"Yes, just like Kagura-Chan or Julia," I said. I saw Julia hugging to Yuki-Kun, to his great disbelief too. Shigure-San came out and brought Akito along with him. Kazuma-San followed close behind and got us both and softly pushed us to Akito. I grabbed Julia's hand to comfort her. The head glowered at us and the other adults were being directed back into the house by a man with a doctors' suit.

"You mean to tell me these brats," he stated coldly, "can _hug_ the Juunishi?" He stood over us, condescending and annoying. The man in the doctor's suit was Hatori Sohma, the family physician, explained what happened having seen it himself. Akito wrinkled his nose at the thought of joy it seemed. A split second later, Akito smirked.

"It seems Kazuma," he said airily, "you did find quite treasure." After that, he returned inside along with Shigure and Hatori. Kazuma turned and grabbed our hands, kneeling.

"Listen, little ones," he said to Julia and me. "There is a curse on this family. The curse of the Zodiac. Have you heard the tale?" We nodded our heads. He then went to explain how the family was possessed by the vengeful spirits and the fact we can hug the people who carry these spirits is a miracle.

"But, why?" asked Julia, who's face was pointed in his direction. Apparently, members of the opposite gender couldn't hug anyone possessed by a Zodiac spirit.

"You two really are special," he said. "Now, let me get Kyo and I'll show you two your room." He stood up and I glanced at Kyo to find him looking at me.

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Well, there's chapter one! Hope you enjoyed it and keep an eye out for the up coming chapters! 


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